Heavy metals and volatile organic compounds in residual dust at vehicle inspection bays in Trinidad, West Indies.

This study investigated heavy metal and volatile organic compound contamination in residual dust from inspection bays at two major vehicle licensing offices in Trinidad, West Indies. Surface dust was analyzed for seven heavy metals using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy, while a qualitative screening for volatile organic compounds was achieved using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Concentrations of cadmium, chromium, copper, manganese, nickel, lead and zinc ranged from n.d.-1.33 µg/g, 9.02-22.64 µg/g, 54.34-275.65 µg/g, 75.62-346.65 µg/g, 13.96-24.15 µg/g, 30.88-92.45 µg/g and 158.69-358.60 µg/g, respectively. Contamination assessments revealed an enrichment of copper, chromium, lead and zinc at the inspection bays which were attributed primarily to specific vehicular-related sources; however, the overall ecological risk was considered low. For adults, the non-cancer risks were negligible, and the potential carcinogenic risks based on exposure to cadmium, chromium and nickel were not significant. The volatile organic compound profiles included alkanes, aromatics, halohydrocarbons, oxygenated volatile organic compounds and olefins, with methylene chloride as the dominant compound at both locations.